The Portland Trail Blazers clawed back from a hefty first-half deficit to take down the Atlanta Hawks 106-102 on Wednesday night, as sharpshooter Anfernee Simons lit up the scoreboard with 36 points. DeAndre Ayton also had a monster game for the Blazers, dominating the paint with a season-high 33 points and 19 rebounds—a performance he's been consistently hinting at with his sixth straight double-double.

Despite trailing by as many as 16 points earlier in the contest, Portland flipped the script after halftime. They surged ahead with a pivotal third-quarter run to grab an 82-75 lead heading into the fourth, which ultimately continued their momentum till the final buzzer. "Coming into these games I’m trying to do everything," Ayton stated, preening after his impressive outing, according to AP News. "Not only just my requirement, my role for this team, but do a lot more. And that’s where I’m at. I’m more dominant."

On the opposing side, Dejounte Murray of the Hawks wasn't going down without a fight, racking up 40 points—one shy of his season-best—as reported by KATU. The game marked the beginning of Atlanta's grueling 11-day, five-game road stretch—the longest of their season thus far.

The Blazers' defense had to buckle down in the final twelve minutes as the Hawks, led by Murray's hot hand, threatened to erase their hard-earned lead. But clutch shots from Simons helped keep Portland out in front, the Blazers finding a way to answer each of Atlanta's runs. A timely 3-pointer from Simons stretched the gap to 99-93, while Hawks center Clint Capela kept things interesting with a dunk and layup to make it a four-point game, KSL reported. Despite the Hawks' push, the Blazers maintained their composure to secure the hard-fought victory.